Fix You
by Tha Kitten
Summary: On his way through Nebraska, Theodore Bagwell meets an odd group of people that have a strange but tempting proposition for him. Multicrossover with BtVS, DLM, and Saw. R
1. Prey

**Chapter One**

**Prey**

That was close. Too fucking close.

Theodore's heart was just slowing down as he walked along the highway. Squinting against the sun, he was just trying to get as far away from the gas station as fast as he could, without appearing suspicious.

Fuck.

That car was supposed to get him to Utah. Five million dollars. Well, he wasn't likely to beat the other seven convicts going for it now, was he? Not unless they were having worse luck then he was.

Speaking of luck…

The sound of a car rolling up behind him caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up, his stomach to tighten. He glanced back briefly, before continuing as if he wasn't worried about anything at all. Nope. Nothing at all.

The car stopped, and he heard one of the doors open.

"Hey!"

Theodore froze. He turned slightly, looking quizzical. A young, dark-haired man walked over to him from the driver's side. Skeptically, he looked the man over. The man smiled uncertainly at him.

"Uh, hi. I'm the guy from the gas station," he introduced himself.

Theodore nodded, but didn't say anything. The guy from the gas station seemed a little uncomfortable.

"I, uh…I was wondering if you needed a ride or something?"

Thin surprise washed over his face. The younger man hastily added, "I just, well…I heard you talking about your hand… I don't know that much about fighting in a war, but…I know that it takes a lot of courage."

He felt awkward, not quite sure what to say. So he turned the rest of the way and gave a little nod. Softly, he spoke, with a vague smile, "I'm just serving my country."

The man smiled, seeming relieved. He nodded, putting his hand out.

"I'm Adam Faulkner."

Theodore's smile widened as he shook Adam's hand. "Clyde. Clyde May."

They stepped back towards the car. Adam was grinning, seeming rather pleased with himself. Theodore was smiling with gratitude for stumbling onto such luck.

"I hope you don't mind riding in the back. My g…mn…f…" Adam faltered, stopping. He pointed to the passenger side of the car. "Lynnie's riding shotgun."

He smiled, then walked over to the driver's side. Theodore looked down at Lynnie, who was scribbling in a notebook, sitting Indian-style in the passenger seat. Her hair was dark red and slightly wavy, flowing off of her shoulders. She looked about 15. After a moment, she looked up, studied him for a moment, then smiled.

"Hi, I'm Aaralyn."

A warmth of excitement rushed through Theodore as inevitable thoughts swarmed his head. He soon grinned at her. "Hi, yourself."

* * *

He still didn't understand why they had to stop. The sun was still bright, and it wasn't as though they'd been on the road all that long anyways. Scowling slightly, he made his way to the pool area of the motel.

At least this would give him some time alone with Lynnie.

He pulled the gate open and stepped in, spotting the teenager sitting at the edge of the pool. Once again, her legs were crossed, and she had her notebook and pencil in hand. For a moment, he watched her as she paused in her writing, looking at the water. Her hand reached forward and dipped into the pool. Slender fingers drifted through the water, smooth, like caressing silk. It was slow, just feeling, curious. Theodore was mesmerized, his lips parted slightly. When she moved her tongue out to wet her lips, he mirrored her action without realizing it.

And then she pulled her hand back and dragged it back along her pants, before picking up her pencil again. Theodore shook himself out of his trance, sniffing once, quickly. When he closed the gate, she turned her head quickly to look at him. Their eyes met for a moment, before she looked away and began writing frantically. Theodore strode over to her leisurely and sat down beside her.

"Hey there, Lynnie."

Lynnie's pencil paused on the paper, and he saw her glance at him out of the corner of her eye. But then she acted as though she were completely uninterested, continuing to scribble.

"Hey." Her voice was flat.

"Sure is nice of Adam to pay for my room for the night," he said, trying to make conversation.

"He's a nice guy."

"Hm. But I really wish we could have kept goin' on towards Utah—lots of light left in the day, lots of road to go…" He tried to mask his annoyance, looking skyward.

Lynnie shrugged, scratching something out in her notebook.

"Yeah, well, there's not really much I can do for you there."

Lynnie's disinterest was a bit frustrating, but Theodore had been here before. This was part of it all. There was something thrilling, arousing, about getting the girls (or sometimes boys) to trust him. Pulling them in and twisting them into thinking he was safe, he was good, it was just as exciting as the sex itself. Theodore was definitely not of the grab and stab variety. He played the game, and he loved it. He eyed her notebook, reading a few lines. It was poetry.

_She sits in her room_

_Where they've locked her away_

_Put up bars on the windows_

_Her very own cage_

"She's you," he stated with realization, leaning towards her. "Beautiful…"

Immediately, the notebook was snatched out of his view, and he lifted his gaze to meet Lynnie's wide-eyed, embarrassed expression. A small smile formed his mouth. After a moment of looking at him, Lynnie nodded.

"Yeah."

"You feel trapped…" he acknowledged. The thrill grew and changed from the usual twisting of trust. He could identify with her. He was crawling into her soul, seeing her. He inhaled slowly. "I'll bet it has something to do with that Adam fellow."

Looking utterly confused, Lynnie held her notebook close, frowning at him. "What?"

"Well, I just mean…it seems like he's pushin' you around a lot. He seemed to boss you around in the car on the way here. Doesn't give you much…independency."

Relaxing a bit, Lynnie smiled, and gave a small laugh. "Yeah…I know…he acts like I'm a little kid or something."

"Exactly. But you're a grown woman, y'see. Nothin' kiddish about you at all. But adults are always tryin' to infantilize girls your age, treat you like children."

"Yeah, I know!" Lynnie was suddenly very interested, setting her notebook and pencil aside. "Adam won't even let me wear a mini-skirt. Then again, he's encouraged by ssssss…William."

Theodore, noticing his progress (and ignoring her hissing), shifted closer to Lynnie.

"See, that's what I'm sayin'. You're perfectly capable of makin' your own decisions—"

"Tell Adam that—"

"—well, he won't want to hear it."

Theodore leaned closer, looking Lynnie in the eyes, trying his best not to let his true desires be detected. The faint smell of her natural scent drifted over him. Her eyes were dark, full of expression. Curiosity, confusion, anxiety, and something else he couldn't quite read…

"He wants to keep you a baby, even though you're more than old enough to choose how you want to dress…or who you want to be with."

The expression in Lynnie's eyes flashed to fear for a second, then to incredibly discerning and coy. Slowly, she leaned in, nearly closed the distance between them. Her lips hovered inches from his own, her soft breath falling gently upon his mouth.

"And who do you suppose I want to be with?"

No one had ever reacted like that before, and Theodore was shocked. All thoughts of clever manipulation flew out of his head as he gaped at her. His arm was still hovering behind her, frozen in its journey to trap her. If anything, now, she was trapping him. Her left hand pushed his arm away, while her right hand reached up to his face. Instinctively, he flinched. She looked as though she was going to say something.

"Lynnniiieeee." An unfamiliar voice called from the gate.

Lynnie and 'Clyde' immediately pulled away from one another. A spark of hope lit up Lynnie's face as she turned to look at their visitor. Theodore looked up at him as well. Another young man, perhaps around the same age as Adam, was grinning at them. His eyes were hidden by sunglasses, and his hair was brown, face a bit scruffy with a lack of shave.

"Didn't you ever learn not to talk to strangers?" he called towards them.

Lynnie squealed with excitement, "Mason!", before leaping up and running over to him.

They met with a hug. Theodore stood, grabbing Lynnie's notebook and pencil as he went, and strode over to them.

"Oh my god, is this why we stopped?" Lynnie asked cheerfully. "Adam wouldn't tell me. This was why, huh? Oh my GOD!"

Mason laughed as their hug broke, and he looked at Theodore.

"Who's this?" he wondered, gesturing to him.

Theodore glanced at him, handing the notebook and pencil to Lynnie. She took it quickly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, this is…Clyde. May," she said, smiling awkwardly. "Adam picked him up a ways from the gas station, 'cause he was trying to go all the way to Utah on foot."

The two exchanged a look, at which point Theodore felt it would be best to step in with something.

"Well, I suppose I might've caught a bus 'er two," he admitted, smiling as best he could.

"Oh, right, well, in that case—"

Mason's hand snapped out, lightning fast. The syringe in his hand shot into Theodore's neck, piercing his vein. Even before he had a chance to shout, the drug was forced into his system, exploding into his blood stream. Mason removed the needle just as quickly, pocketed it.

Theodore's head began to swim as dizziness washed over him. His eyes had trouble focusing as he stumbled slightly. Lynnie and Mason were eerily still, despite the spinning of the area around them. Theodore swayed slightly.

"Wh…wha…" he stuttered groggily, trying to keep his balance.

"Naptime," Lynnie said, before poking him in the shoulder and causing him to lose his balance. He fell back clumsily. Lynnie and Mason stepped around him. Their faces hovered over him as he sank into unconsciousness. "_Sweet dreams_."


	2. The Mouse and the Lion

**Chapter Two**

**The Mouse and the Lion**

The sounds of jars clinking together gently welcomed him into consciousness. The transition was slow, but he got there, listening cautiously to the sounds in the room. It sounded as though there was only one person there. That didn't necessarily mean it was safe, though.

His head lolled, then lifted up as he tried to open his eyes. The drug hadn't completely worn off yet, but he was trying to gather his strength as best as he could. Although, all he really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and die.

Instead, he blinked a few times and forced himself to focus on whoever was there. Unfortunately, he seemed to be sitting in the middle of a small dark room, the only light being one that hung from the ceiling directly above him. It reminded him of those mobster movies where the hostage is tied to a chair and then the mobster comes out of the shadows and tortures him for information for a while.

_Great._

Sure enough, a tall, slender man with white, shorn hair stepped into the light. His eyes were on the label of the jar in his hand, which contained an unidentifiable substance. Theodore glared at him, pulling at the ropes that held his hands behind the chair he sat in. There was a thick piece of duct tape over his mouth, preventing him from speaking. The man shook his head and looked at Theodore.

"The rat's eyes here just aren't the same as in Sunnydale," he sighed, setting the jar down on a table to his right. His accent was British, but slightly different than Mason's. "Well. I suppose I ought to introduce myself."

He crouched down to Theodore's eye level, a slight smirk on his face. If he weren't so preoccupied with the hostage situation, Theodore might've thought that this man had a mysterious attractiveness about him. Pretty as Scofield. Prettier, even.

"I'm Spike," he said. His hand reached forward and ripped the duct tape from Theodore's mouth. "And what might your name be?"

Theodore's tongue flicked out to wet his lip as he continued to glare at his captor. "Clyde," he spat.

Spike stared for a second, then laughed. He shook his head, chuckling. "Right." His hand snapped up again, grabbing Theodore roughly by the throat and forcing his head back. Theodore could've sworn that he growled.

"Let me tell you something, Theodore," Spike snarled, tightening his grip. "I don't like it when people lie to me. So we're gonna have a little truth time now, alright?"

Theodore did nothing but glower at Spike. Spike pulled him forward and shoved him back by his neck once more.

"Alright?!"

"Fine!" Theodore choked, and his throat was released. He lowered his head. "What do you want?"

Spike stood, shrugging and walking around the table.

"S'really not about what I want, Theodore," he said, dragging his hand along the table thoughtfully as he went. "S'about what _Lynnie_ wants."

Theodore frowned, feeling lost. Spike checked his fingers for dust, and rubbed them together, continuing in a somewhat bored voice, "Don't really know why, but she seems to…_like_ you."

"Like me?" Theodore repeated. "Well, that explains why she _drugged_ me."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah. She likes to keep things exciting."

Theodore was about to point out that Lynnie probably had something for Clyde May, the noble vet, when someone knocked frantically on the door. Spike turned his head slowly to peer into the shadows. Theodore looked as well, but it was too dark for him to see anything beyond the small pool of light surrounding him. The knocking paused, someone said something on the other side of the door, and the knocking resumed.

Spike raised an eyebrow and strode into the shadows. Metal chinked and the door squeaked as it was pulled open. Spike was silhouetted against amber light.

"What is it, Deci?" he asked, barely loud enough for Theodore to hear him.

"Um, uh…Lynnie wants to know how much longer, uh…" The girl called Deci stammered, and made a little noise. "Lynnie, why don't YOU tell him?!"

Spike shook his head. "He's awake now. It'll only be a few more minutes." He closed the door before Deci could say anything, or at least, before she said anything Theodore could hear.

A zippo lighter clinked open, and Spike's face lit up in the shadows as he lit a cigarette. The fire flashed away, leaving only the orange glow of the fag. He stepped into the pool of light again, taking a drag and exhaling smoke into the air.

"Tell you what, Theodore," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I'm gonna let you go. I'm gonna let you walk right out that door."

Theodore snorted. "So I can get attacked by Lynnie and her boy toys again? No thanks."

Spike smiled, pulling a knife out of his pocket. "What Lynnie does is her business. Would you rather I leave you in here to rot? You might have a chance out there."

Silence. Theodore frowned, staring off into the darkness. Maybe he did have a chance, if he prepared himself. Maybe if he got that knife from Spike. He didn't seem very strong, Theodore was fairly sure he could take him. He looked up at the blonde.

"Alright," he agreed.

Spike gave a small nod, his smile fading away. He very solemnly strode over to Theodore and stepped behind him. Theodore felt the duct tape around his wrists loosen. He pulled his hands around and looked at them. Spike walked around and in front of him.

"Right. You can go now."

"Right," Theodore agreed again.

He brought his foot up and slammed it into Spike's knee. Spike grunted and bent, giving Theodore the moment to jump up and elbow him in the jaw. Somehow his hand was on the knife, embedding it into Spike's chest.

There was a strange ripping sound and he lifted his head to meet Spike's face. It was ugly and deformed, his eyes glowing yellow, fangs bared. Startled, Theodore yelled out, then turned and ran for the general direction of the door, hand still firmly grasped around the knife. He found the door after fumbling in the darkness for a minute, wrenched it open, and dashed into the light.

Someone grabbed him. He lashed out before looking to see who it was. Someone else came from his right and shoved him to the ground. Things were still for a moment. He looked up. Lynnie and Adam were standing over him. A small red line ran across Lynnie's cheek. Blood. Theodore scrambled to his feet.

He was in some kind of underground magic shop, surrounded by about eight people, including Adam and Lynnie. Adam and Mason looked absolutely burning with rage, while Lynnie was staring, expressionless. The five unrecognizable people that were standing around them were staring with either surprised or bored expressions.

Mason and Adam took threatening steps towards Theodore, who stepped back.

"Don't," Lynnie said, putting one hand on Adam's shoulder and reaching the other out to Mason. They stopped obediently, turning their heads to look at her with identical curiosity. Lynnie continued to look at Theodore calmly. "He doesn't know."

Angry, and sick of being screwed with, Theodore glared fiercely at her. "I think I know enough," he started.

"Oh, you _definitely_ don't know enough," a young brunette girl said, sounding amused.

"O'course he doesn't," Spike said from behind Theodore. Theodore whipped around to face him. His face was still deformed, his eyes were still yellow, and his teeth were still fangs. "He's new."

Everyone was quiet, the air tense. Spike shook his head, his face becoming a blur. When he was still again, his face was smooth and human again, pretty as ever. He smiled briefly, before walking over to Lynnie. Theodore kept his eyes on him at all times, his jaw clenched.

"Oh, Lynnie, what'd he do to you?" he asked gently as she quickly wiped the blood away with her finger.

Spike caught her wrist as she was letting her hand drop, and brought it up to his mouth. His tongue slid out of his mouth and tenderly licked the blood from her finger. Lynnie watched him, and their eyes met. Sexual tension you could cut with a knife.

"Well, well, well," Theodore drawled, twirling the knife in his hand. "Looks like _everybody's_ Lynnie's boy toy."

Lynnie turned her head to look at him (Spike continued to gaze lustfully at her), her mouth still open slightly, seeming dazed. Then she blinked and smiled at Theodore. She pulled her hand away from Spike slowly, her arm dropping to her side. Her eyes locked onto Theodore's, held his gaze firmly, as she tilted her head.

"Join the club."

Theodore frowned slightly. "Excuse me?"

"Sit down. I'll explain things."

* * *

They had been talking for about half an hour. Or, more accurately, Lynnie had been talking in a business-like fashion, and Theodore had listened. Sometime maybe five minutes ago a police car rolled up outside of the shop, and one of the strangers standing about, watching, had announced that it was her partner, and that she really had to be going. Theodore was appalled that he'd been sitting across from Lynnie, who was describing everything she knew about him escaping from prison, in the same room as a cop. Not only that, but she didn't seem the least bit surprised, nor did she say anything remotely similar to "You're under arrest." She just walked out the door.

The cop car rolled away, and three more people stated that they'd "best be going" and "it was nice to see you again" before they exited the shop as well. All eyes were back to Theodore. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"So…you know I'm a convict," he said, looking at Lynnie. "Why exactly am I here, then? Why aren't you shipping me back to Fox River?"

Lynnie's eyebrows shot up. "Well, if you prefer that, it can be arranged…"

"No, no. It's not that I don't appreciate your keeping my secret a secret," he explained, folding his hands together. "Believe it or not, people are not generally kind to me…without reason. I merely want to know…" He sighed. "…what you want in return."

"Nothing." Lynnie smiled, and stood up. "I have this thing…I help people. People I like. People I think deserve to be helped, and that no one else is going to help."

Theodore looked at her, then at Mason, Adam, Spike, and Deci (who turned out to be a pretty little brunette thing about the same age as Lynnie). They nodded solemnly. He looked to Lynnie again.

"So you're sayin'…"

Her hand turned out her pocket and held it in a similar fashion to the way he would hold it out to prisoners. An ironic smile curved her lips. "You're in need of protection. This is where I come in."

_

* * *

_

_I'll explain things further when we get home._

The words echoed in Theodore's head as he was escorted by Spike and Mason through the back of the store. He wasn't sure what he was bothered by more: the fact that Lynnie was withholding information or the fact that she spoke as though it was his home, too. He couldn't remember the last time he could really call a place home. Maybe Fox River. Fox River used to be home. Not anymore. _Not_ anymore.

They were outside, in front of a large black van. Half of it was parked in the shade, the other in the sun. Spike pulled the door open and looked at Theodore. He gestured inside.

"After you," he insisted.

Theodore grudgingly obliged, climbing into the back of the van. It was carpeted, and there were couch-like seats along two of the walls. He moved over to one, tugged at it. It was firmly attached to the bottom of the van. Raising his eyebrows, he sat down, as Spike climbed in as well. Mason closed the door, leaving Theodore and Spike once again alone and confined in a small space. Spike sat in the seat across from Theodore, watching him closely.

"This your shaggin' wagon or something?" Theodore inquired, looking around at the pictures and papers taped up on the walls.

Spike chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

Theodore quietly studied the pictures from afar, pondering his current situation. Technically, he was being kidnapped by two fifteen year old girls and their thugs. Oh, how the tables had turned. He shook his head, looking away from the pictures of smile-filled days and cheerful nights out, to look around the van a little more. A large dark curtain was hanging from the 'ceiling', separating them from the driver's and passenger's seat.

Curious, he rose and shifted over to the cloth. His fingers curled around it and pulled it open part way. Sunlight shone through, warm on his face. No one was in the driver's seat, but he could see Deci and Mason through the windshield, talking to one another.

A hand was grasped around his wrist then, and he released the cloth, surprised. Spike yanked him back and threw him to the floor. Another animalistic growl escaped his throat.

"Leave it be," he ordered, pinning Theodore to the floor.

Theodore's brow furrowed at Spike's strange reaction to the cloth being moved. "What are you, a vampire?"

Spike raised his eyebrows. Theodore stared. "Oh."

They stared at each other for a minute, until Theodore started to get up. Spike pinned his other arm down, giving him a warning look. Theodore couldn't help but slip back into old Fox River habits.

"Well, you are just _desperate_ to touch me," he taunted, wetting his lips. "If you'd care to, we could make this a little more interesting…"

Spike looked amused, leaning down. "It's funny, Theodore, the way you think you've still got power."

Confused, Theodore frowned, watching as Spike released him and began to get up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The vampire paused, looking down at him again.

"If you and I ever did anything, trust me, it would be an _entirely_ different experience for you."

Spike rose, stepped around him, and found a comfortable spot on one of the couches. Theodore sat up and twisted to look at him.

"You think I never—" he stopped when Spike turned his head to look at him a little too inquisitively. Theodore shook his head. "Nevermind."

He then pretended to be very interested in the photos on the wall, getting up and moving closer to them. There was a small bunch of professional looking photos of Lynnie with each of the people in her little group. In the picture with Mason, he stood behind her in a black cloak, holding a scythe to her throat. Lynnie wore a delicious look of fear and horror, arms stiff at her side, fingers outstretched. It matched her face in the picture with Spike, where he wrapped his arms around her and looked as though he were about to sink his dull teeth into her neck.

He shifted his attention to a third image, featuring Lynnie and Adam. It was closer to them than the other pictures, with Adam and Lynnie holding hacksaws and looking at them nervously. The last one was Lynnie and Deci. They seemed more loose and fun-loving, compared to the other four. Deci was wearing a lamp-shade, looking as though she was laughing, and holding the shade up so that she could see. Lynnie had her arm wrapped around Deci's shoulder, peering over the top of a pair of sunglasses and grinning.

Theodore pulled away from the pictures and found his way over to the seat across from Spike. He began studying the pictures closest to him. Someone opened the doors at the front of the van and got in, before slamming the doors shut. Theodore turned his head, interested. Lynnie poked her head through the black curtain from the passenger seat.

"Alright, guys, we're on our way to L.A," she announced.

Spike, who had been reading a copy of Soap Opera Digest, looked up, frowning. "Luv, I don't reckon that's a good idea. If we run into Angel—"

"We're going straight to Angel," Lynnie confirmed, while Theodore wondered just who the 'angel' was.

Allowing a small growl, Spike tightened his grip on the small magazine in his hands. It crinkled.

"What do we need to go to the great poofter for?!" he demanded. "He's not exactly our good friend, you know."

It was then that Theodore noticed how very tired Lynnie looked, closing her eyes for a moment. The color in her face seemed paler than earlier, and strands of her hair were swept across her face, as though she was trying to hide from something.

"I know, I know… But there are some things that Angel is good for. T-Bag's left hand is useless. We're getting him a new one."

She disappeared behind the curtain and the van's engine turned over. Spike growled again, burying his nose in his magazine. Theodore simply sat there silently, staring at the curtain. _Maybe this girl is worth more than she seems_, he considered, as the van pulled out of the parking space and they headed for Los Angeles.


	3. On The Road Again

**Chapter Three**

**On The Road Again**

The first stop they made was at McDonalds, for which Theodore was extremely grateful. The last real food he'd had, real food being anything besides prison food, was so long ago, he hardly remembered. They ordered and parked in the lot to eat. It was dark enough by then to sit in the back of the van with the doors open, without Spike burning up. The sky was a soothing grey blue, and the breeze was cool without freezing them.

Theodore kept his seat on the make-shift couch, going in on his second Big Mac. Lynnie was sitting cross legged on the floor of the van to his left, spreading a map out as she munched on a few French fries. Deci sat near to her and Mason, glancing at Theodore suspiciously every once in a while. At one point, Theodore flashed her a wolfish grin, and she "eep!"ed and inched closer to Mason. At this, Mason glared at him fiercely while wrapping an assuring arm around Deci. Theodore continued to give Deci frightening looks, while she clung to Mason, and he threatened Theodore wordlessly. It was a silent war. Lynnie was pretending not to notice, but Theodore caught the looks of annoyance on her face as she sucked down her soda.

"Alright, people, let's focus," Lynnie announced, and everyone except Spike looked at her and her giant map. "We're here." She poked Nebraska. "We need to get here." She poked the California coast. "We're gonna be going through Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. No, T-Bag, we're not making any stops in Utah."

A smirk spread across Theodore's face as he reached for his coke. "And what makes you think I was goin' to suggest a stop in Utah?"

Deci looked up, curious, from picking at her salad. Dark, short hair was swept in front of her face. She shook her head quickly to move it, before shifting her position and turning to Lynnie.

"What's in Utah?" she wondered, looking at the map appraisingly.

"Nothing," Lynnie said, bored. "Just a bunch of convicts and five million dollars."

Deci let this sink in. Her eyes became the size of golf balls and her back straightened.

"FIVE MILLION DOLLA—"

Three hands clapped over Deci's mouth, causing the rest of her surprised exclamation to be muffled. Adam, Mason, and Lynnie stared at her as she pushed their hands away from her face. Over at the open door, Spike sighed.

"Be _quiet_, Deci," Lynnie scolded, frowning. "We don't need the money. If anyone does, it's those brothers."

"Those brothers, those brothers," Deci mocked in a hushed, angry voice. "One of _those brothers_ killed the Vice President's brother! What do _they_ need it for?!"

Lynnie shot her a furious glare, corrected her ("She's President now."), then went back to stuffing her face with French fries and jotting down which highways they would be taking. Deci seemed annoyed as she stabbed her salad with her plastic fork, but she remained quiet, as did everyone else. Theodore cleared his throat, thought about saying something, but then decided to leave it. They'd be stopping in Utah; he would make sure of it. But now it was best to go with the flow, stay on Lynnie's good side.

"So," Lynnie finally broke the silence. "Does anyone have any suggestions as to where we can sleep tonight?"

"I'll drive," Spike offered, setting down a thermos. Its contents were hidden, but not so much a mystery.

"No, you're exhausted," Lynnie reasoned. "It's been a long day for all of us. We should get some rest and start fresh in the morning."

Theodore stole a glance at Lynnie's wrist watch, raising his eyebrows.

"I hate to break it to you, but it's only seven o'clock."

"I know. We'll get up around three. Spike can drive for his turn then, since it'll still be dark," she explained. "Besides, aren't you tired?"

Theodore thought upon sleep, then thought upon two teenaged girls in such a vulnerable state, and at such easy reach. Resisting a suggestive smile, Theodore instead stretched and nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed, and finished off his soda.

The air became tense for a moment as everyone's eyes shifted to Theodore. He acted as casually as he could, reaching for more eats. When Lynnie smacked his hand away from the bag, the focus on Theodore was diverted. She pulled the bag of food away from him.

"That's enough," she said, rolling the top of the bag down. "I'm giving the rest to the homeless man."

Theodore stared, lost. Was that code for something? "The _homeless man_?"

She pointed out of the van, and he looked to see a dirty man with wild hair digging through a trash can. He snorted. What a useless thing to do with perfectly good food.

It was probably best not to argue with her just yet, so Theodore crossed his arms and leant back on his couch. Mason looked at him for a long moment, then switched his attention to Lynnie.

"We passed a motel not far from here," he suggested, gathering the garbage from his food. "Looked cheap, but decent enough."

"That works," Lynnie nodded, also stuffing trash into an empty bag.

Deci, on the other hand, looked nervous. She wrung her hands together, glancing around. "It's not going to be filthy is it? I've heard horror stories about motel bathrooms."

There was a collective groan and someone grumbled, "Oh get _over_ it," amongst the disorder of people crawling out of the van. Theodore was left alone as the others went to throw away trash. He watched Lynnie approach the homeless man with a smile and hand him the bag. As if that weren't kind enough, she also pulled a crisp bill out of her pocket and handed it to him. When he bowed and appeared to thank her profusely, she waved her hands and shook her head. Theodore could just hear her saying "Really, no problem at all!" before she wished him a good night and practically skipped away from him.

Everyone else had returned to the van in time to see Lynnie return in a rather brighter mood.

"Alright, ready to go?" she asked cheerfully, grinning. They stared at her. She laughed at their reaction. "What? I like helping people!"

"We noticed," Spike said, sounding slightly amused, as he snatched the van keys from Adam. They both disappeared around the van and could be heard getting in the front moments later.

"See you at the motel," Mason said with a grin, and he and Deci walked off to the car that had earlier driven Adam, Lynnie, and Theodore to that first motel.

Lynnie climbed into the back of the van and shut the doors as Spike started up the van. As comfortably as if she weren't sitting straight across from an escaped convict with six counts of kidnapping, rape, and murder, she plopped onto the little couch and fished around for a magazine. That smile from helping the homeless man hadn't yet disappeared, although it was decidedly smaller. She began to read an issue of CosmoGIRL without so much as a glance his way.

It wasn't until they were out of the parking lot that he voiced his surprise and confusion. Not that that was anything new with these people.

"They trust you back here alone with _me_?" His voice was sly and suggestive and he hoped to make her at least nervous, to gain a bit of control.

Warily, Lynnie lowered the magazine, her expression free of any previous cheerfulness. Her eyes caught his with an intense, piercing stare. A slow, predator's grin spread across his face. She tilted her head, watching him calmly though with caution.

"And just what, may I ask, is that supposed to mean?" she wondered, although she knew full well.

"I just think…it was foolish move," he answered leisurely, stretching out on the make-shift sofa. "Knowing my history an' all." He smiled that smile again.

Now Lynnie raised an eyebrow and looked unimpressed, with that same knife-like gaze. "You're saying you're going to try to rape and kill me with Spike and Adam just behind that curtain?" She opened the magazine again with a harsh snap and began reading again, saying in a bored voice, "Haha. _Funny_."

Theodore glared. This was no good at all. But she would see, soon as they were at the motel. You don't deride Theodore Bagwell. And he would make sure she never dared laugh at him again.


	4. Good Inside

**Chapter Four**

**Good Inside**

_He dreams of Susan Hollander. Her soft skin, her delicate voice, and that beautiful perfume. They make love, slow, sweet. The sunrise glows orange through the drawn curtains. She's warm, safe, and she embraces him, welcomes him back. He looks deep into her eyes and she smiles sweetly, intoxicated._

"_I missed you," she whispers._

_He kisses her, gentle and loving, holding her like the most delicate glass, the rarest gem._

"_Susan…"_

Theodore was pulled out of his dream, the perfect dream, by being shaken gruffly. He groaned and tried to smack the offender away. His hands were grabbed and held still. Someone was telling him to wake up, Theodore, my God, WAKE UP ALREADY!

His eyes flashed open to see Lynnie frowning at him. Her hands were tight around his and she looked rather annoyed. It took him a moment, but then his surroundings became clearer and he realized what was happening.

"Man, seriously. Take a swing at me again and I'll cut off your other hand," she snapped, although she sounded more aggravated than serious about the threat.

"Must'a dozed off," he mumbled, sitting up when Lynnie was sure enough to release his hands. "We there?"

"Yup. We're about to go in and pay for the rooms," she said, turning away and dropping out of the van. "Hurry it up! Unless you wanna sleep in the van all night?" She grinned at him wickedly. "Maybe the cops will hear you snoring and talking in your sleep and you'll wake up nice and comfy back in prison."

Theodore scowled and jumped swiftly out of the van to meet the rest of the group. He shut the doors, looking around quickly.

"Would you _kindly_ keep your voice down?" he snarled.

Deci rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"This place is deserted anyways," Spike added, before taking a drag of a cigarette.

"As if anyone cares!" The dark blue sedan beeped as Mason locked it, walking up to them.

"Do you have any idea how much money I have on my head?" Theodore asked in a lowered voice as they headed towards the entrance of the motel.

Deci put her hands out in front of her and illustrated words on a sign as she spoke. "Theodore 'T-Bag' Bagwell. Wanted dead or alive. Reward: One hundred thousand dollars."

As they approached the building, Lynnie gave Deci an annoyed look.

"It does _not_ say dead or alive," she argued.

"Well it should!" Deci said matter-of-factly. "It would be much easier to actually get him to the cops if he weren't alive." She wiggled her fingers at him, eyes narrowed. "Working his twisted little brain."

Theodore smirked at her, raising an eyebrow. She said "Hmph!" and stormed into the motel. They followed her inside and went up to the counter. Spike dropped some bills on the dirty, scratched plexiglass.

"Three double rooms. Overnight."

The man behind the counter was grimy and unshaven, his eyes raking over the odd group. His gaze seemed to linger on the two girls, who were picking at something on Deci's jacket. Theodore glanced around at the others but they didn't seem to notice. The man snatched up the money and dropped three keys onto the counter. Spike handed one to Lynnie and one to Adam.

With a glance at the girls Theodore only caught because he was looking for it, the man turned and stalked into the back room. He didn't like that look. He knew he must have worn it a million times before, but for some reason, this man made him angry.

Quickly, he shook off the feeling as Deci and Lynnie left for their room together, as did Mason and Adam. Spike stepped up to Theodore, smirking.

"Looks like we're bunking together," Spike said, holding up the key.

"Oh, this'll be fun," Theodore said, peering at the room number on the key.

Spike laughed. "Like a bloody slumber party, I'm sure."

They both grinned as they headed for room 203. Ahead of them, Deci and Lynnie were racing up the stairs, laughing loudly. Theodore frowned as Mason and Adam called to them, playing. It seemed somehow surreal. At the same time that they were helping one of America's most wanted men to the California coast, they were also acting as if they were on a vacation.

He didn't understand these people at all. Although he wasn't sure why he bothered trying. He was dumping them all as soon as they got him to Utah.

* * *

At 12:25 Spike seemed to have finally fallen asleep. Honestly, Theodore had no way of telling, as the man didn't breathe. There was no steady pattern to listen for. Rather, he waited until Spike most resembled a dead body, unmoving, without the tiniest sign of life.

As he was rising from his bed and creeping towards the door, he heard a soft jingle of keys. The face of the desk clerk jumped into Theodore's head and he was swiftly at the door. As quietly as possible, he pulled open the door and slinked out into the dark outdoor hallway. He was just in time to see someone moving into room 202, where Lynnie and Deci were peacefully sleeping.

Incredible rage swelled inside him and he followed, stealthily as his anger would allow. The figure had been much too large to be Adam or Mason, and far too obvious.

Just inside the door, as his hand felt carefully in the darkness, he found that his hand was curling around a pole of some sort. It lifted easily in his hand as he moved forwards in the dark, able to hear a figure leaning over one of the beds. A girl stirred.

"Mm? Mason?" It was Deci. Suddenly she gasped and there was a muffled scream.

"Shh, shh, shhh… Now we don't wa—"

CRACK. A loud, frightened gasp and scrambling back against the wall. The second girl in the bed on Theodore's other side started awake

"What's goin—"

"Shh! OOF."

The larger man at the floor had barreled into him, sending him to the ground. There was fumbling and clanking and light flooded the room. Theodore winced against the sudden brightness, kicking the man off of him.

"OH MY GOD!" Lynnie shrieked, jumping up to stand on her bed as if there were a mouse on the floor.

The desk clerk leapt up and tried to bolt out of the room, but was stopped by a furious wall of three men. Theodore's hand was curled tightly around the object he'd grabbed, standing between the man and the two girls, who were standing on their beds and pressed flat against the walls.

Spike growled at the man, moving forward. Both Adam and Mason were practically seething. They were both holding guns. Theodore took the moment to glance at the weapon in his hand. It was a thick wooden stick with sharpened points on both ends. He raised an eyebrow, returning his attention to the clerk. Blood trickled down his face from a wound on the side of his head.

"Get the bloody hell out of here," Spike snarled, eyes hinting a golden color. "You come near mine again and I'll make sure you die a long, slow death."

The man started to hurry past them, but Spike grabbed his arm. "Oh…and if you call the police…we'll keep you alive for weeks, before we turn you over with enough planted evidence to keep you in prison for the rest of your life."

He nodded and Spike let him go. He scrambled out of the room and down the hallway, wheezing like a pig.

"Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick," Deci whimpered, and ran off to the bathroom.

Theodore tossed the stick to the ground, panting slightly. Spike looked up at him suspiciously, then over at Lynnie.

"Aaralyn, what happened?" he inquired seriously, gently. His voice was careful and controlled, a would-be calm.

Lynnie's voice was shaking terribly as she came down from the bed. "I-I dunno exactly. I just remember hearing a loud noise…and it sounded like a fight… I turned on the light and-and…" She exhaled forcibly. "You saved me and Deci…"

Theodore had just begun to turn towards her when suddenly his ribs were being crushed. Surprised, he started to leap away, when he realized that Lynnie was hugging him. Well, more like breaking his spine, but she seemed to mean well. Her face was buried against his clean shirt, borrowed from Mason after a long shower. She clung to him for a good moment, until Theodore awkwardly patted her back. He wasn't sure what to make of this, looking at it with only the purest of intentions, at least.

"I knew it! I knew it I knew it!" she said excitedly, pulling back.

"Knew what?" Theodore asked curiously, straightening his clothes a bit nervously.

"There's a good person in there," she said gently, beaming, and pressed a finger to his chest.

A moment of vulnerability grasped Theodore and held him stock-still as he gazed at Lynnie. Her eyes were clear and bright as she smiled up at him. There was no doubt in her expression that she believed what she'd just said. She grinned, then clapped her hands excitedly and moved back.

"I have to go see if Deci's alright," she said happily, turning and hurrying off to the bathroom.

_A good person_, Theodore thought, turning back to face the others. _Good luck, darlin'._

To his surprise, all three men were staring at him with wide eyes. They were very still, shocked, confused. He shifted uncomfortably. Mason blinked and shook his head.

"Wow," he muttered.

Adam nodded and whispered in agreement, "Yeah."

Spike stepped up to Theodore, scrutinizing him. His eyes narrowed as he seemed to bore into the man's eyes. Spike hadn't looked at him this hard, not even when he had him tied up in that back room. Theodore looked back at him, defiantly, although he felt someone fearful. Had Lynnie's reaction made Spike angry? The last thing he wanted to do right now was wake the beast.

But Spike extended his hand after a moment, his face softening to a smile. "Girl's got a good eye. Welcome to the gang."

Slowly, as they shook hands, Theodore allowed himself to smile as well. It spread to a grin as he said, "Best slumber party I ever went to."


End file.
